Costa Rica Volcanos & Mountain Ranges

by John Rabenau on February 7, 2013

Volcanos & Mountains Have Shaped Costa Rica

Costa Rica’s physical size is relatively small; however, this country with no military seems to have an endless supply of places for visitors and travelers to experience. With 912 miles of coast and multiple mountain ranges, determining where to go in Costa Rica can be an endless quest. There truly is something and somewhere for everyone, and our Costa Rica itineraries will ensure that you experience the trip of a lifetime.

The country of Costa Rica is about the size of the state of West Virginia. Costa Rica is almost 20,000 square miles in size, and ranges from 0 – 13,628 feet above sea level. The main draw to Costa Rica is the endless & scenic coastline and beaches, which reach both the Pacific and the Atlantic Oceans. These are some of the most majestic and pristine beaches in Central America and the main draw to this country (perfect for honeymoon vacations and destination weddings in Costa Rica). Today however, we are going to talk about a lesser-known geographic feature of Costa Rica that is just a beautiful and fascinating…the Mountains & Volcanoes! These are remarkable and natural destinations are usually the best places to go in Costa Rica to experience the country’s unique natural habitat.

Technically there are 5 mountain ranges in Costa Rica, each range has distinctive features and volcanoes.

Costa Rica Mountain Range #1: Cordillera Central

This range is famous for its four large volcanoes: Volcan Poás, Barva, Irazú and Turrialba. In the recent years, Volcan Turrialba has shown a great deal of change and become quite active, even to the point of evacuating various communities close to the crater. The area of Turrialba is very popular for the white-water paddling. Adventurers from around the world come here to test these waters. Mountain Biking & Road Cycling are also gaining more and more popularity in these mountains. The highest volcano in this range is Volcan Irazú at 3,432 m.The Central Range continues the Continental Divide, stretching east of Cordillera de Tilarán.

Costa Rica Mountain Range #2: Cordillera de Tilarán

This range is home to the famous Volcan Arenal. This “cordillera” or “mountain range” is part of the Continental Divide and located to the east of Lake Arenal . This range collides with the Cordillera Central which is further east. It is located in the Abangares district of the province of Guanacaste. At the edge of this mountain range is the Monteverde cloud forest preserve, which a major ecotourism destination.

Costa Rica Mountain Range #3: Cordillera de Guanacaste

The northern-most mountain range is located in Guanacaste, near the border with Nicaragua. The Guanacaste Range forms part of the southern region of the Continental Divide. There are three popular volcanoes in this region: Miravalles Volcano (2,028 m), Orosí Volcano (1,659 m), Rincón de la Vieja Volcano (1,916 m). This area is often visited by those staying on the Pacific Northwest Coast of Costa Rica. The accessibility of these mountains from the beach allow for visitors to access these parks & mountains for a short overnight trip or even a day tour. The Rincón de la Vieja region is gaining more and more popularity for the plethora of adventures that are offered.

Costa Rica Mountain Range #4: Cordillera de Talamanca

Located in the southern part of the country, the Talamanca Range is included in the La Amistad International Park. This is a large park shared between Costa Rica and Panama. Costa Rica’s highest peaks lies in this mountain range: the Cerro Chirripó. At 3,820 m this is a popular adventure for visitors. The hike to the peak is not “a walk in the park”. It is a very challenging hike which offers visitors incredible views from the top. The Cerro Kamuk is the highest peak in Panama.

Costa Rica Mountain Range #5: Cerros de Escazú

The Cerros de Escazú borders the Central Valley to the south and is considered the northernmost portion of the Cordillera de Talamanca.

Popular Places to Visit in Costa Rica

Arenal Volcano

Located inland between the two major international airports is a very popular area call Arenal. This area is known for the volcano (Volcan Arenal), which until very recently one could see lava flowing down the sides of it on a clear evening. This area of the country is known for the natural geo-thermal host springs, which exist and have been transformed into various eco-resorts. It is also referred to as the “Adventure Capital” of Costa Rica and is a great alternative to the popular beach destinations that Costa Rica is known for. There is a large lake in the area called Lake Arenal and the volcanoes and mountains that surround it are filled with numerous rivers to raft, rainforests to zip-line through, waterfalls to rappel and trails to hike or horseback ride (popular attractions for Costa Rica family vacations)!

La Fortuna & Monteverde

A common combo destination with Arenal & the town of La Fortuna is the cloud forest region of Monteverde, which was originally settled by Quakers that traveled by land from the United to seek a simpler way of life. Both areas are teeming with wildlife and have numerous protected parks and reserves to explore. The zip-line & canopy tours here are some of the best in the country and the environment is definitely unique to the country of Costa Rica.

Turrialba

An area that is gaining more and more popularity is the Turrialba Valley. This area has always been a paddler’s paradise, with the Pacuare, Reventazon & Pejibaye Rivers, but with the recent volcanic activity of Volcan Turrialba, more and more people are visiting this under-discovered area, east of San Jose on the way to Limon and Caribbean Coast. La Ruta, a multi-day mountain bike stage race has brought popularity to the sport of biking and cycling to the area. You will find a great deal of cyclists on any given day in and around the mountains of Turrialba.

Rincon de la Vieja

Rincon de la Vieja is aonther area in Guanacaste that is gaining more and attention each year. Only about 1-2 hours from the Pacific Northwest Coast, this area of the country is great for the beach dweller looking to escape to the highlands for a day tour in Costa Rica. Rincon de la Vieja offers visitors an amazing, yet hard to access National Park along with various adventure centers where guests can float down rivers in inner tubes, do a zip-line tour or relax in the natural geo-thermal hot springs.

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Costa Rica Escapes is a boutique Costa Rica vacation planner who uses extensive knowledge and local relationships to create one-of-a-kind trips to Costa Rica for travelers looking for a unique experience. Learn more about us.